Protect Your Personal Injury Claim After a Car Accident

If you have been injured in a car accident, then you may be able to file a personal injury suit to seek compensation for things like medical bills, lost income, rehabilitation and even pain and suffering. One of the most important things to demonstrate in a personal injury suit is that the accident was caused by a third party who can be found liable. This means that the accident was the result of their failure to act in a reasonable way or because they acted negligently.

Sometimes, the liable party is the other driver, who may have been speeding, texting, putting on makeup, or driving under the influence. Sometimes, the liable party is a parts manufacturer who produced faulty brakes. Or, the liable party may be a homeowner who failed to remove trees covering a stop sign. In cases where the responsibility of a third party can be demonstrated you may be able to seek compensation. In order to pursue your personal liability claim, be sure to contact a reputable and experienced car accident lawyer to discuss the details of your case. Given the importance of demonstrating the responsibility of a third party for an accident, you should try as much as possible to document the accident scene once injuries have been assessed and treated. Here are some things to keep in mind.

Call the police

If the police have not already been called by a witness to the accident, be sure that you do this yourself. The police report will be a critical element in any effort to establish the liability of another party in that it represents an official account of the accident and of the scene. If another driver was involved, he or she may try to convince you that the police do not need to be called, especially if it is evident that he or she was at fault in causing the accident and if no one is injured. In the case of a minor accident, you may be tempted to avoid calling the police because it may seem unnecessary in the absence of any injuries. However, remember that sometimes injuries are not immediately apparent – if you have not reported the accident, you may undermine your claim for compensation.

Take pictures

Although the police will certainly take care to document the scene of an accident, you should also take as many pictures as you can before the police arrive. You have no ability to prevent other people involved in an accident from moving their cars, gathering any scattered belongings, or even leaving the scene before the police arrive. For this reason, you should be sure to document the location of all vehicles and any items that have been ejected from vehicles. You should also try to document the damage done to vehicles, and any surrounding items like trees or bushes, fences or buildings. Be aware of tread-marks on the road, and try to capture the road and lighting conditions.

It may be difficult to think about practical matters in the immediate aftermath of an accident, but if you are able, these steps may make all the difference in whether you are successfully able to win compensation for your injuries as the result of a car accident.